Humanitarian Threat of Open Casket (Essay Sample)

Name
Professor
Course
Date
Humanitarian Threat of Open Casket
Oppression of minority and debate on equality has been a sensitive matter over the years. Equality is a concept desired by those feeling oppressed in the society. Some individuals have called for actions that tend to imply equality among all but end up being a threat to human existence. Their repercussions are grave and have a lasting effect on the human population. Dana Schutz’s Open Casket is a piece of art that exhibits the corpse of a 14-year old named Emmet Till. Schutz is a white artist whose work received a considerable controversy that led to the demand for its removal. A letter written by Hannah Black presents the sentiments alleged by the Black community of the harm caused by Schutz's painting. It is crucial to understand that the message demanded destruction of the Open Casket painting. Destroying the picture poses a humanitarian threat, a need for an inquiry on free speech and artistic expression, risks and would require destruction of previous controversial artists' works.
Destroying Open Casket would imply abiding by the demands of authoritarianism under the pretense of fairness to the minority community. The black community appears to be under attack in the piece of art Open Casket. However, the letter by Hannah indicates that a white artist should not be allowed to benefit from painting black oppression. Liberal science attempts to bridge the misunderstanding associated with “equal access to a knowledge-making system and equal results” (Rauch 113). Liberal science aimed to provide equal opportunities to all towards the provision of access to scientific and intellectual establishments. It demanded that for there to be a balance, equal treatment had to be exercised across all parties without biases. It identified that truth is biased and no particular group should get special privileges. Therefore, destroying the Open Casket would amount to favoring the minority while that standard would need to be applied to all artists. All pieces of art that expressed concern for races that they did not belong to would have to be destroyed to promote equality. It would create strife and cause demonstrations among several artists across the world. It has to remain to prevent such violence from erupting.
Destroying Open Casket affects free artistic expression and free speech. Hannah Black demands that the painting is damaged since whites have no interest in uplifting the black community except obtaining commercial benefit. Her sentiment indicates that Hannah has a claim to knowledge and this opposes the concept of intellectual liberalism (Rauch 118). Intellectual freedom requires that the experience should withstand public testing. Therefore, liberal science is objective and demands that intelligence cannot be politicized. Schutz had a difficult time in finding expression on the art. She states that "dealing with this atrocity in visual terms had seemed almost beyond imagining, and “Open Casket” is a very dark picture” (Tomkins). Her free expression of the visual aspect of the torture experienced by the 14-year African-American boy. There is a need for more than allowing free speech and artistic expression. It is essential for clarity in the establishment of knowledge governing liberal reasoning in the field of art.
Making amends of past injustices would involve an act of liberal activists. Rauch agrees with Plato that there is no need to avoid offense since it promotes inquiry and criticism. However, it should not lead to intimidation and hate (135). Risks include violence and riots among those who seek to defend their personal opinion with those demanding that people should be intellectuals. Therefore, it is right to correct past injustices for the benefit of the entire community. However, there is need to establish that the event happened.
The paint should be left to remain since